


Green and Dirt and Snakes

by ReignStorm



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 11:20:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12629871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReignStorm/pseuds/ReignStorm
Summary: Loki and Sigyn were children once too!  With gap teeth and everything.  Some childhood memories of the two of them, loosely (very very very very very loosely) based on that snake thing in their mythology.





	Green and Dirt and Snakes

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I know its been a while and I'm not as active as kyrrhe, but every once in a while I have an idea! And now is one of those times (actually I had the idea a couple months ago, but I just finished it and now have time to post it). I am currently studying for the general GRE (just took the psych GRE), am looking into schools, and doing that job hunting thing that adults are supposed to do so it may be a while longer before I show up here again (that doesn't mean don't leave comments! My new post resolution is to respond to all). This post is also part of my procrastination against my nanowrimo.
> 
> Life.
> 
> Anyway! Usual grammar/typo disclaimers. I made up a couple words in here but if you think you have a better real word, let me know
> 
> PS. the numbers are ages

~8&6~

Loki slumped in his chair, higher than the rest of the court, but the lowest on the dais. His father regally reclined in his, and Thor boisterously wriggled about in his. Loki straightened when his mother turned a frown his way, then immediately slouched again when she turned away. He petulantly rested his chin on his hand, wondering again why he needed to be present again for another victory party. Again.

In an effort to distract himself from the truly atrocious and vulgar reenactment play unfolding on the pristine marble floor before the All-father, Loki let his gaze wander up and over the splendor and opulence of the great hall. Gold gleamed from everywhere. Gold flooring, gold pillars, gold ceiling. Golden sunset. Gold gleaming on armor, jewelry, formal dress. Gold cups, gold plates, gold eating utensils. Red banners hung from the ceiling, tied back to the walls, Loki was willing to cede that they’d _tried_ to add color. It was his brother’s color, but minimal mental effort had been made.

Loki straighten again as small blue flames danced over his knee and wrist. His mother gave him another stern look before releasing her fingers, the small illusions dissipating across his skin. He wanted to do that someday. Cast, and control so well that no one else in the room noticed. He could do illusions of objects, but not living things, and certainly not intrinsically natural things like flames or water. He could create light and shadow, but not invisibility. And he couldn’t create solidity, not yet. But one day he’d illuse a chair, and his brother would sit, and after a minute or two, the chair would disappear. He’d go to bed without supper for weeks, but it would be glorious.

Loki stuck his cheek to his hand this time, after his mother turned back to the performance, his leg jiggling with the effort to sit upright. His eyes glazed over almost immediately, slipping back towards the walls recessed behind the pillars, behind the banners, where the green things grew. His brother’s color might be dominant now, but the trees and shrubs would grow. Green was life. Green was effervescent. Green grew, and then green consumed.

His leg stopped twitching when he saw something rustle by a pillar. A thoroughly tousled head popped up behind a carefully cultivated shrub, not blonde, not gold, not yellow. Sigyn was his young cousin, born to his mother’s overly sociable sister. Her hair was a curious color he’d not seen on any other aesir before, silver and luminescent, but with strikes of sunlight running through it. He’d never seen her at court before, they’d met formally once, when Freya had first brought her here to be fostered by his parents. After that, he’d usually glimpsed her through windows or across courtyards, struggling with whatever particular lessons she was working on at the time. He’d seen her fall off ladders, stools, chairs, horses, and once, an overturned bucket balanced on the back of a goat. He’d never figured out what she’d been doing up there in the first place.

Now, her hair was done up in intricate swirls and braids, covering the better half that had been left down. Or it had been, currently twigs, stick and leaves were sticking out of it, as well as half the strands that had been tied back. A smudge of dirt covered her cheek, disguising the girlish rosy coloring that had been applied. Her mouth was smooshed together and tears welled so high in her eyes, he could see them even from this distance. Small, chubby hands dived in and out of the shrub, pulled the branches apart.

Loki’s gaze flicked over to where Freya, his terrifying annoying aunt, laughed raucously with an arm draped around a warrior or three, her other hand clasping a sloshing golden cup of ale. Loki immediately felt better about his own parenting expectations and experiences. It sucked when his mother caught him before, after, or even during a prank, but at least she _noticed._

Loki dismissed his aunt and turned back to his cousin. The tears had welled over, but now she smiled widely, showing a distinct gap between her front teeth as she carefully extracted or uncoiled something from the shrub. Loki’s eyes narrowed as she tucked the thing into the folds of her skirt. She’d brought a snake to court. He could see the thing slithering around her waist and up to her neck, flicking its tongue to her cheek before sliding back down to nestle under the top layer of skirts.

Her gaze darted around hurriedly, probably checking to see that no one had noticed her little mishap with the serpent, and smoothed her hands over her hair. She stopped, tears welling again as she tugged a twig out brought it around to before her nose.

Loki straightened, almost wanting to help her fix her hair, what a sissy thing to do.

She dropped the twig, took a deep breath, then ran her hands over her hair again, twigs, sticks, and leaves disappearing as her hands swept over and down. Loki frowned harder than he ever had in his life. A chubby little girl-child was as good as him at surface illusions?

Her eyes darted around again, freezing when she noticed him staring. Loki frowned at her, displeased with her existence. Then he tapped his cheek twice with his forefinger, leaning back in his chair staring drolly at the performers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her smile, directly at him, no one else, and wipe a hand across her face, leaving only a pristine girlish palate behind.

Loki hmphed. Her court lessons were about to become much more difficult if he had anything to do with it.

~11&9~

Sigyn sat buried in a cushy chair deep in the library, further entombed by towers of books around her. She bit her lip as she stared depressedly at the one she currently clutched in her hands. Since coming here, she’d never told anyone she’d never had a letter tutor, and her mother hadn’t remembered to tell anyone either. It didn’t matter, since she’d learned well enough on her own, but now her tutors were expecting her to _read_ things in a _timely_ manner. She could get through the mountain of books, she _could._ Just not by the time they wanted her too.

“Is this yours?”

Sigyn squeaked, a shriek in the quiet library, as scaled coils lowered between her eyes and the blurry book, Bjami happily curling himself around a hand fitted with a green and gold wrist guard. Sigyn blinked, then slowly tilted her head back to come face to upside down face with stunning, rather annoyed, green eyes.

The hand in front of her opened, then shook when Bjami refused to let go. Sigyn dropped the book in her lap and quickly reached to disentangle Bjami before he became upset with the ill treatment. Coiling him tightly in her palm, she held him close to her, high against her throat, then looked back at Loki, her cousin.

He wasn’t looking at her anymore, glancing distastefully over the books surrounding her, flicking his finger over some of them. One hand rested princely on his hip as he gingerly pushed a particular book away from him. It was disconcerting, seeing him upside down. This was the closest they’d ever been to each other, and without anyone else around. She had no idea what to say, her court tutors hadn’t covered what to say to family you’d lived most of your life with but had barely ever spoken to. So instead, she just stared at him, his hair flopping over in front of his ears and brushing across his shoulders. She had the strangest urge to reach out and touch it. Just give it a good little tug.

His green eyes swung back to hers. She squeaked again and pulled her hand back, stuffing it into her stomach.

“Why are you here? It’s past midnight.”

“Well why are you here?” She said back, a bit timidly. “It’s past midnight.” She finished more firmly.

Loki cocked his eyes at her.

Oh, Allfather, what a stupid thing to say! He was a prince! Not the crown prince, yes, but still a prince and he was older and outranked her, and she’d just annoyed him!

“My tutors want me to read these books so I was reading them.” She pushed out hurriedly.

Loki crossed his arms, frowning at her. “It’s still past midnight.”

Sigyn’s lower lip wobbled.

Now Loki looked alarmed. “Why do you always cry? Are your eyes broken?”

“I was never taught how to read!” Sigyn slapped a hand over her mouth. Had she really just wailed that? She’d die from embarrassment before this encounter was over. Now the tears spilled over her cheeks before she could blink them back inside.

“What do you mean you can’t read? What are all these books for?” Loki had taken a step back and raised one arm in front of him like a shield. Now he thought she was crazy!

Sigyn took several deep breaths, Bjami coiling loosely around her neck. She smoothed out her skirts before continuing. “I am able to read, however I was never formally taught so it takes me a long time. I’m here reading past midnight so that I can finish these books in time.” There. That sounded stable, not like she was going to burst into tears at any time. …. Again.

Loki continued to regard her with older child contempt. “You’ve lived here for years, why didn’t our tutors teach you?”

Sigyn’s lower lip wobbled again. Perhaps she could hide under her bed covers for the rest of her life.

Loki sighed. Then picked up a book. “We’d better get started then.”


End file.
